as in to pierce
to make a hole or series of holes in
he perforated the sheet with his pencil and put it in his binder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perforate
The next day, while in a dissociative episode, Dunham put a large Q-tip in her ear and perforated her eardrum.
—
Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Putting a garlic clove in the ear is also not scientifically proven and can cause similar problems, including ear infections, skin irritation and hearing damage if the ear is perforated.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Cámara uses a HexClad grill pan, evenly perforated with small round holes, to char her homegrown chiles, tomatoes, and aromatics for salsas.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
This six-piece bathroom accessory set is very handsome (thank you, Sarah Sherman Samuel), with a travertine base and perforated detailing to level up the sophistication.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perforate
Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Putting a garlic clove in the ear is also not scientifically proven and can cause similar problems, including ear infections, skin irritation and hearing damage if the ear is perforated.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Cámara uses a HexClad grill pan, evenly perforated with small round holes, to char her homegrown chiles, tomatoes, and aromatics for salsas.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
This six-piece bathroom accessory set is very handsome (thank you, Sarah Sherman Samuel), with a travertine base and perforated detailing to level up the sophistication.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perforate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perforate
Verb
-
Gabrielle’s unflinching competence and dynamism belie acute sensitivity, and the actress allows hints of child-like hurt and hesitation to pierce the carapace.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Because errors constantly occurred and changes were frequently made to the code, Hamilton sometimes edited the printout by hand by sealing excess holes with clear tape or piercing missing ones in the paper tape with a sharp pencil.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Both candidates were the only ones to say California should resume offshore drilling.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Cape Station entails drilling wells 10,000 feet deep—about 2 miles—and then directionally drilling horizontally another 7,500 feet to create adequately sized reservoirs, and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) the rock to release the flows of water naturally heated to more than 400 degrees.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The investigation determined that Castillo used his control panel to unlock the third inmate’s cell, and in his line of sight, the pair pulled open the door, entered the cell and proceeded to punch and kick the victim.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
Two inmates punched and kicked the victim for about 30 seconds in his cell, while a third inmate stood guard.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perforate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perforate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
